Whether it was Julio Cesar Chavez’s dominance through the 1980s and early ’90s, Oscar De La Hoya’s days as the Golden Boy in the 1990s and early 2000s or Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s ongoing rise to supremacy, Mexico has always boasted its fair share of imp…
Whether it was Julio Cesar Chavez’s dominance through the 1980s and early ’90s, Oscar De La Hoya’s days as the Golden Boy in the 1990s and early 2000s or Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s ongoing rise to supremacy, Mexico has always boasted its fair share of impressive boxers.
“I keep saying this, but it’s true: the baddest dudes in the world, throughout the history of the world, have come from Mexico and Latin America,” UFC President Dana White told the media in Mexico City in August. “Your Salvador Sanchezes, your Julio Cesar Chavezes, and the list goes on and on. In the MMA world, all of those guys exist in [Mexico] right now, and you’re going to see them popping up over the next six years. You’re going to see Mexico start to dominate, like it did in boxing.”
Mexico hasn’t boasted the same sort of royalty in MMA compared to boxing—that’s Brazil. Still, it’s done a solid job of birthing some of the better fighters the sport has ever seen.
Here’s a list of the top 10 fighters of Mexican heritage in MMA history.
When the UFC purchased Strikeforce back in March 2011, it was first believed that the organization was going to continue to operate under then-President Scott Coker. But in January 2013, after Tarec Saffiedine became the promotion’s last welterwe…
When the UFC purchased Strikeforce back in March 2011, it was first believed that the organization was going to continue to operate under then-President Scott Coker. But in January 2013, after TarecSaffiedine became the promotion’s last welterweight champion, big brother brought over a stash of prime Strikeforce talent to stockpile several of its weight divisions.
Strikeforce had been the No. 2 mixed martial arts organization in America for roughly six years. They fostered elite-level talent, such as Gilbert Melendez and Jake Shields, which helped spark debate over who exactly was the best in the world. Since the takeover, Strikeforce fighters have gone 0-5 in championship fights, with three left to be played out. Those who have failed in their efforts to capture UFC gold include Shields, Melendez, Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz, who lost twice.
There are three championship bouts in the light heavyweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions featuring the pride of Strikeforce. Melendez and Lawler are both back at it again—with Melendez facing an entirely different foe this time around. Each lost a close split decision in his initial title fight. The last one on the docket pits Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier against Jon Jones.
We are a year and a half removed from the time Strikeforce contracts were transferred over to UFC brass, and they have yet to establish a championship reign. Which fighters have the best chance to become UFC title holders?
The following set of rankings is composed of the most able—and dangerous—threats to champions. This does not mean that the fighter necessarily needs to be challenging for a belt. Fighters who have fought for a belt prior don’t hold an advantage over rising divisional candidates.
Fighters in the women’s bantamweight division are also candidates, however—spoiler alert—none made the list. Here are the five biggest Strikeforce-bred threats to UFC champions—but first, here are a few fighters who failed to make the cut.
Luke “Bigslow” Barnatt and Brad “One Punch” Pickett are very different fighters with very different approaches to the sport. Young and articulate, Barnatt has earned a devoted following for his unorthodox but effective stri…
Luke “Bigslow” Barnatt and Brad “One Punch” Pickett are very different fighters with very different approaches to the sport. Young and articulate, Barnatt has earned a devoted following for his unorthodox but effective striking, his time on TUF and his regular appearances on BT Sport’s UFC coverage and Gareth A. Davies’ UFC World podcast.
Flyweight Brad Pickett, meanwhile, is a decade older, with a huge fan following – UFC President Dana White has said Pickett is one of his favourite fighters to watch – on account of his flamboyant entran … Read the Full Article Here
The UFC has decided to go head-to-head with your significant other for your attention on Valentine’s Day 2015. The promotion announced on Monday that three fights have been made official for a February 14 show at 1stBank Center in Broomfield,…
The UFC has decided to go head-to-head with your significant other for your attention on Valentine’s Day 2015. The promotion announced on Monday that three fights have been made official for a February 14 show at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
The event will feature a featherweight fight between Max Holloway and Cole Miller, as well as two flyweight contests pitting Zach Makovsky against Tim Elliott and Ray Borg against Chris Kelades.
Cole Miller comes into the bout having won three of his last four. He hasn’t fought since January, when he stopped Sam Sicilia in the second round with a rear-naked choke.
Top-10 flyweights Makovsky and Elliott will look to get back on the winning side of things when they clash at the Valentine’s Day event. Makovksy is coming off of a unanimous-decision loss to Jussier Formiga in August, and Elliott suffered a first-round submission loss to Joseph Benavidez at UFC 172 in April by a modified guillotine that Benavidez dubbed the “Joa Constrictor.”
Borg suffered his first loss when he made his Octagon debut against Dustin Ortiz, which came by split decision at UFC on Fox 11 in April. He rebounded with a first-round rear-naked choke submission over Shane Howell in June.
Kelades made his UFC debut a successful one, defeating Patrick Holohan in October, and will be looking for his third straight victory.
The event will air on Fox Sports 1, and the main event has yet to be announced.
Aisling Daly has a crystal clear voice, and message: women’s sport in Ireland needs greater funding. That clear method is also in her UFC fighting style: relentless.
The 26-year-old from Dublin has been pushing the boundaries as a pioneer i…
Aisling Daly has a crystal clear voice, and message: women’s sport in Ireland needs greater funding. That clear method is also in her UFC fighting style: relentless.
The 26-year-old from Dublin has been pushing the boundaries as a pioneer in women’s MMA, just as fellow Irish woman and atomweight Catherine Costigan has. Yet they are like two islands in the sea.
Daly, a product of John Kavanagh’s Straight Blast Gym (SBG) team, told Telegraph Sport: “I honestly just think that women in sport in Ireland isn’t very popular. There’s a huge obesity problem and from th … Read the Full Article Here
The UFC’s lightweight division is one of the most competitive weight classes in the promotion and it has found a new contender in Bobby Green.
The red-hot Green made his debut at UFC 156 and is on a four-fight win streak, holding victories over J…
The UFC’s lightweight division is one of the most competitive weight classes in the promotion and it has found a new contender in Bobby Green.
The red-hot Green made his debut at UFC 156 and is on a four-fight win streak, holding victories over Josh Thomson and Pat Healy. The former Strikeforce fighter has marveled competitors and fans alike with his impressive footwork, head movement and pin-point striking. Despite beating Thomson in a close contest, the American Kickboxing Academy product sits ahead of him in the 155-pound rankings. With a bout lined up against the unpredictable EdsonBarboza on tap, what will a win prove?
The 28-year-old Green has quietly climbed the lightweight ladder. After compiling a 4-1 record in Strikeforce, Green set his sights on UFC gold, beginning with his domination over veteran Jacob Volkmann. From there, the California native put all lightweights on notice, finishing an accomplished James Krause before his breakthrough performances over Healy and Thomson.
Nobody has been able to replicate the timing and movement of Frankie Edgar, in the 155-pound division, but Green has. He is a versatile fighter, who some call dirty. His loss against Dan Lauzon and win over Volkmann have brought to light questionable tactics.
“It bothered me a lot. I play by the rules, I’m a man of respect and honor,” Green said in response to the allegations, per MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani. “I don’t believe in cheating. Cheaters never prosper.”
Poor aiming could not mar Green’s unblemished UFC record. He was virtually went untested in his run through the lightweight division, aside from his last victory over fellow Strikeforce alum Thomson. Prior to the contest, Green was a 155-pounder with intrigue and raw potential. He was on the outside looking in on the lightweight division.
In a bout that would’ve won fight of the night on any other card, the two men put on a show, trading kicks, combinations and anything else you can possibly think of. The 35-year-old Thomson landed a number of sharp kicks to the head and body, as did his counterpart Green, with the fight rarely making it to the ground. Green appeared to relish the opportunity of fighting the former third-ranked lightweight in the world in his own backyard, taunting San Jose’s own as he took the center of the Octagon. Utilizing speed and movement, as he always does, was Green’s sticking point to winning the fight.
“I was being way more active in the fight because Josh is the type of guy who picks when he’s going to attack and can dictate the pace. I wanted to take that from him,” Green toldMMAJunkie following the win.
Green was able to take Thomson’s best, and was taken down, but he came out more aggressive in the last round, which impressed the judges enough to score a huge upset decision. Fight metric reports back up the victory for Green, who improved to 23-5 and is now the seventh-ranked lightweight in the UFC.
Curiously enough, it’s Thomson who sits above Green in the rankings at number six. While a bit odd, many a times has there been an exciting fight with no clear-cut winner. So Thomson, while scorned by the judges, doesn’t lose much ground—he still dropped three spots from number three—in the division.
Green answered many questions in the Thomson fight, he withstood pressure, he expanded his arsenal and proved he could hang with the best the sport has to offer. But Thomson is a much more calculated fighter than the next man Green is set to face.
EdsonBarboza sky-rocketed up the lightweight ladder, delivering blistering knockouts to would-be challengers. Barboza owns victories over Ross Pearson, Danny Castillo and most recently Evan Dunham. The Brazilian has been stopped twice, once by Donald Cerrone and the other by Jamie Varner. A win over a name like Green would do wonders for Barboza‘s confidence, who has previously been halted by those at the top of the food chain.
In what is a potential FOTN candidate, both men share similar attributes. Make no mistake about it, Green and Barboza are two dynamic strikers. Like Green, Barboza boasts deadly kicks which, if they land flush, usually end the night very quickly. He won the 2012 KO of the Year from UFC Brazil.
Barboza has fought, and beaten, some heavy-handed strikers such as Lucas Martins, Ross Pearson and Anthony Njokuani. However, he is prone to being tagged, as he was against Pearson and Njokuani. Barboza absorbs 3.5 significant strikes per minute. But as the saying goes, styles make fights, and Barboza is a willing brawler.
Luckily for fight fans, maybe not Barboza, Green doesn’t mind trading leather either. Green’s approach to standing and banging doesn’t differ that much from his opponent’s. Each can pull off a wide variety of kicks, body shots and jabs. It’s Barboza, who comes from a striking background—he compiled a 25-3 professional Muay-Thai record—who might have the advantage on the feet.
Aside from his unorthodox style, the Brazilian also possesses a four-inch reach advantage over Green. Reach can come into play if Barboza chooses to neglect his explosive striking repertoire for a more channeled approach. If he so chooses, he could keep the fight on the outside and away from a potential takedown by Green.
Although it’s not typically part of his game plan, Green can wrestle. He may not sport the highest of accolades held by many of mixed martial arts’ wrestling titans, but he has taken down the likes of Healy and Thomson. Still, it’s highly unlikely that we see any wrestling take place from these two sparkplugs. Both Green and Barboza defend the takedown at a clip of over 80 percent.
Both men are coming off of impressive victories and are looking to solidify themselves as top-10 lightweights. Green would appear to be the favorite based off of his wins over top-flight competition but one concern going into his fight with Barboza is how he will deal with the Brazilian’s power.
Green’s last three opponents have a total of 17 KO victories combined, while Barboza has 10 alone. There is also concern for the lack of power on Green’s end. Aside from his body-kick win over Krause, he hasn’t dropped, let alone ring the bell of, any of his UFC opponents. Because of the reach and activity of Barboza, Green will have to be as aggressive as he has ever been in the cage.
A win would reward Green with an opponent atop the heap of the 155-pound division. A fight with the winner of the Dec. 13 bout between Rafael Dos Anjos and Nate Diaz might seem logical, but then again, the winner may be clamoring for a title shot. A tussle with everyone’s favorite gate keeper, Jim Miller, would provide Green with a tough fight and a good measuring stick. Other intriguing scenarios include fights with: The loser of Anthony Pettis/Gilbert Melendez, the loser of Cerrone/Myles Jury and a scrap with injured KhabibNurmagomedov.
All of this hinges upon Green getting past Barboza, which will be no easy task. It also depends on how quickly he recovers, and how quickly the remainder of these lightweights recover by the end of January, which is when we will have a much clearer picture of the lightweight division. If he’s smart, Green will take a look at what Cerrone did to embarrass Barboza in the first round this past summer.
The UFC has decided to go head-to-head with your significant other for your attention on